Kurt's Secret
by mary-sue and ashamed of it
Summary: The rating is *just in case* for later chapters. Kurt is behaving strangely; what could make his personality change like this? DISCONTINUED
1. Something is Wrong

Jean settled back in her chair and sighed gratefully. "Finally, some peace and quiet!" she muttered.

"Hey! That's mine!" someone shrieked, further back in the mansion. Jean looked over her shoulder at the disturbance, and frowned. The shrieking girl was probably Kitty, but why would she be yelling at someone? She normally just phased right through their hands and grabbed whatever they'd taken from her – or at least, she tried to. Her control wasn't always up to it.

"Go shove your head in the blender!" someone else shouted. Jean sat bolt upright, astonished. That had sounded like Kurt! But he was always the relaxed type, and besides, he _liked_ Kitty.

Jean winced as a series of crashes shook the house. Kitty suddenly ran through the wall, looking terrified. "Kitty, what-" Jean started, when Kurt teleported into the room and leapt at her. Kitty phased out, and Kurt went straight through her. He landed on the floor with a thump, and teleported himself back to where he could jump at her again. Jean grabbed him with her power, holding him in midair. He struggled helplessly, then slowly stopped, until he was hanging quietly, staring around him. "What – what happened?" he asked softly, fear gleaming in his eyes.

Kitty stared at him in disbelief. "You go _totally_ psycho on me because I try to get my _CD_ back, and you don't even _remember_ it?"

Kurt looked blank. "CD?" he asked perplexedly, looking towards Jean as if he expected her to explain what was going on. Kitty glared, and carried on talking at him. "Yes, CD, as in the _extremely_ cool CD that you _stole_ from me and have _hidden_ somewhere in this – this _mausoleum_! And when I _ask_ you to give it _back_, which is a _perfectly reasonable_ request, you try to _kill_ me! What _kind_ of a nut job _are_ you, you _elf_!?"

"But – but – I didn't! Did I? I – I didn't know," Kurt began to stutter, twisting in the air as if he was trying to find an escape route. Jean looked at him curiously. He was telling the truth about not knowing, but there was something else that he was keeping to himself. She wondered if she should try digging a little deeper…

Kurt, come into my office please, Professor X suddenly projected. Jean set Kurt down, feeling glad that the professor was going to take care of this. Kurt started off down the corridor, muttering to himself; Jean wasn't sure what, as she didn't know much German.

Is something wrong with him, Professor? she asked mentally, hoping to hear that she was overreacting. There was a pause, and then Xavier projected sadly, Yes. I am very much afraid that there is.


	2. A Worrying Conversation

(I forgot this in the last chapter; please don't anyone throw me off for it! I DO NOT OWN THE X-MEN, nor any version thereof! I am really sorry for forgetting, and will grovel at your feet forever if you forgive me! Promise!)

Kurt sighed as he made his way to the door. He hadn't meant to lose his temper with Kitty like that – he hadn't even realised how much her playing that Cher CD had annoyed him. He wondered what he had done with it. It wasn't like him to forget something like that…_it wasn't like him to _do_ something like that_…and he could tell that he'd better remember soon, if he ever wanted Kitty to smile at him again…_but that isn't the only thing you need to remember, Kurt. There's a lot more going on here then just memory loss_…he pushed the voice away.

"Come in, Kurt," the professor called. The door opened, and a blue face peered around the edge. "Professor, I'm sorry. I – I'll find her CD, I promise. I just – need some time," Kurt began, his tail twitching nervously as he walked forwards. The professor smiled at him reassuringly, but his eyes were concerned. He had been keeping a channel to Kurt open since Jean had caught him in mid-leap, and he knew that Kurt had no more idea of why he had behaved like that then anyone else. Such behaviour was unusual for Kurt at any time; not even realising that he was doing it suggested that something was seriously wrong.

"I know, Kurt. Do you have any idea of what you did with it?" Professor Xavier asked. Kurt blushed darkly, and shook his head no. "Then perhaps you had better buy her a new one, just in case." Kurt nodded, but remained silent. The professor sighed slightly, puzzled by his behaviour. Normally, he'd have expected Kurt to say a lot more, and get very excited. Now that he thought about it, Kurt had been acting subdued for the past week. Perhaps his sudden change in character wasn't so sudden, after all…

Kurt watched the professor carefully. He wasn't sure what he should be saying. How could he apologise enough for – for whatever he'd done, he filled in, realising that he still didn't know. The last thing he remembered was trying to go to sleep, because he was so tired, and hearing music from Kitty's room – and then he was suspended in mid-air, in the middle of the living room, and Kitty was yelling at him that he was a psycho…he shook his head, trying to remember what he had done – or forget what she had called him.

Xavier frowned. Kurt truly had no idea of what he had done; the memory was not buried, it simply – didn't exist. And how could that be possible? He had done those things. Jean and Kitty could both bear witness to that. And everyone remembers when they do something so out of character…unless it isn't them doing it. He considered the idea for a few moments, then shook his head. If Kurt were schizophrenic, then there would have been other signs. He would have felt the 'new' personality in the house, and there had been no strangers recently. Perhaps he should just look further…

"Kurt, I believe that it might be a good idea if I were to try and help you remember what you have done," he said, coming to a decision. Kurt froze, looking more scared then Xavier had ever seen him. "NEIN!" he cried, the terror he was projecting so great that Xavier flinched back. "Nein, no, professor, I promise I'll be gut, I'll buy Kitty a new CD, I'll do eferyone's chores, I'll nefer lose my temper again – please, professor, chust – don't do it!"

Professor X stared at him in astonishment. Kurt blushed darker then before, wondering why he had reacted so strongly to the suggestion. Professor X wouldn't have made it if he didn't feel it was necessary, after all. And yet, just the thought of having someone else inside his mind right now terrified him beyond all imagining.

"Very well, Kurt. I would never force you into something that you are so afraid of," the professor responded at last. "I think that perhaps you had better try to get some more sleep now."

"Ya, zat sonds gut," Kurt agreed thankfully, yawning hugely. "Danke, Professor." He turned and walked out of the room, much to the surprise of Xavier, who had expected him to teleport.

Scott! Logan! Ororo! the professor called as soon as he sensed that Kurt was asleep. We need to have a meeting about Kurt, _now_!


	3. Discussion and Descisions

(I do not own the X-men, but Kurt's secret is, to the best of my knowledge, entirely my own. Please do not sue – I have no money. If you want to flame me now, I suppose you might have a good reason – just be sure to mention what it is. BTW, _I_ will be the judge of how good your reason is. So long as you mention it, I might even treat your flame as constructive criticism! [and yes, I do know that I'm weird, and you can't sue me for _that_!])

Scott walked to the professor's office quickly, wondering what he needed to say about Kurt. And why would he call Scott, Logan and Ororo, but not Jean? If whatever was going on was so important, then shouldn't she hear about it too?

She already knows, Scott, Professor X told him. Scott nodded, remembering how long it had taken him to get used to the fact that the professor could hear what he was thinking. By now, it seemed perfectly normal – if sometimes embarrassing. He smiled slightly, and went back to wondering what was wrong with Kurt. That's why I need to talk to all of you, responded the professor.

"Well?" growled Logan, once they were all in the room. "What's this about?"

"Kurt attacked Kitty 75 minutes ago," Professor X said bluntly.

"_WHAT_!?!?!" everyone shouted. Xavier sighed, and waited for a few moments before continuing.

"He made several determined attempts to injure her before Jean found out what was going on and restrained him. He has no memory whatsoever of what he did, even on the subconscious level – at least, as far as I could tell. When I suggested that I help him remember what he did, he broadcast the most intense fear I have ever felt from him – and that includes when he was convinced that he would die at the hands of Sabertooth!" the professor added grimly, the memory of that surge of fear plaguing him. The faces around him were shocked and appalled as he shared that memory with them, and they all agreed that something serious must be going on.

"For now, he is sleeping in his room," Xavier finished. "I think that we should keep an eye on his behaviour, and make sure that he does not harm anyone if this happens again. I also think that a medical examination might be useful, if he agrees to it. Does anyone have any suggestions for what could be causing this?" He waited in case anyone could think of an answer, but one by one they all shook their heads. "Given the circumstances, he should probably be excused from school," commented Ororo. The professor nodded as he read the reasons behind her suggestion – it would only take one mistake to show everyone at the college what he really looked like, and that would be very difficult to hide.

"True. I shall tell him when he wakes up," Xavier agreed. "It would probably be best if we did this with as little fuss as possible. Try not to make the fact that you are watching him too obvious."

"What should we tell the other students?" asked Scott.

Charles Xavier sighed, wishing for a moment that running a school for new mutants was a little easier.

"Tell them that there is a problem with his image transmitter," he suggested. "I do not think that it is necessary for them to learn the truth if this is the only time he does something like this."

"And if it isn't?" asked Logan softly. The professor pretended not to hear.****


	4. Off to School They Go

Kurt sighed as he woke up. Right now, he felt that he could have slept forever quite cheerfully, but someone outside his room apparently had other ideas.

"Kurt! Wake up! You're gonna be late for school!" yelled Evan, pounding on the door with his fist. To his surprise, Ororo stopped him, saying, "Kurt is unwell at the moment. He has been excused from school by the professor until he gets better."

"Man, some folks get all the luck," Evan muttered as he made his way downstairs. Ororo shook her head as she glanced back at Kurt's door. Should she check on him, or would it be better to let him sleep?

Let him sleep, Ororo. His energy levels are extremely low, and he needs to replenish them, the professor told her. Ororo nodded, and followed her nephew downstairs.

"Hey, where's Kurt?" asked Rogue. "Ah've never known him ta be late for a meal."

"Kurt isn't very well," Jean said. "He's going to be eating later."

"Fine. Just so long as I don't have to, like, be nice to him just 'coz he's sick," Kitty grumbled. Jean sighed mentally, but didn't let her exasperation show.

"He'll buy you another copy of that CD, Kitty, and you know that he is very sorry for what he did to you."

"Huh?" asked Evan.

"That fuzzy elf tried to _kill me_!" shrieked Kitty.

"Hey, way to go Kurt!" exclaimed Rogue. Kitty glared at her, while Evan snickered into his glass of juice.

"I mean he _really_ tried to kill me," Kitty explained. "As in, went _totally_ wacko and started _attacking_ me for no reason at _all_!"

"Ah thank he's got a good rayson," Rogue snapped. "Ahfter ahl, ayven Kurt mus' get mi'hty bored of your whingin' on abaht everthang."

Kitty glared daggers at Rogue. Evan finished his juice quickly, and ran for the door. "I'm outta here! See ya later, Aunt Ororo," he called over his shoulder. Ororo smiled slightly, and sent a gust of wind to close the door after him. Then she looked over at the table, and remarked quietly, "I believe that you should all be going to school as well."

Jean nodded thankfully, picking up her bag and heading for the door. Scott followed, and the two teenage girls walked after him, still arguing loudly.

Ororo sat down again. "Finally, some peace and quiet," she murmured – and then Logan stuck his head around the door.

"Have you seen the elf anywhere?"

(AN: I know, my attempts at accents suck. This is a major piece of nothing, but I'm _trying_, alright?! And I needed to establish a few points in this. I will get back to having an actual plot soon, promise.)


	5. Where is Kurt?

            (Thank you to Jessi H for reminding me that they are in high school, and not college as I said in chapter three. Thank you to everyone who wrote those reviews – it's so nice to be appreciated! [smirks, then hides it behind raised hand] On with the fic!)

            "What do you mean?" asked Ororo apprehensively. "I thought that he was still asleep in his bed."

            "Nope," Logan answered. "I thought that he could use a little time to get ready for that med exam, so I went to wake him up. He's not there. His holowatch is gone, too. Seems like he just up and left, there's no sign of where he is."

            "Do you think that the Brotherhood could be behind this?"

            "I kinda doubt it. Didn't smell anything except Kurt – and there's something strange about that. Normally, his room stinks of brimstone, right?"

            "I can't really say I've been in a position to notice," Ororo responded dryly.

            "Yeah, well, he teleports in there all the time. But the newest traces of that stench were several days old – and have you seen Kurt teleport these last two days?"

            "No, now that you mention it," Ororo admitted. "But what would that mean?"

            "Fits in with the idea that he's losing energy, huh? But that don't explain the temper tantrum he had at Kitty!" Logan shook his head in frustration. "Y'know, I'm gonna be so glad when this is all sorted out."

            Kurt sighed, shifting his position in the tree as he watched Logan and Ororo through the window. "Warum wollte ich hier herauskommen?" he wondered [translation: why did I want to come out here?]. He felt strange, as if there was something inside his head pulling at him. It had been so strong that he had given up on trying to get back to sleep, and had come outside to try and escape from it. Instead of getting rid of it, however, he now felt it was harder then ever to ignore. _But don't give in to it. You really need to remember what's going on soon, Kurt, there's not much time left now_…he ignored the voice again. After all, there was nothing important that he'd forgotten…_oh, but there is. The reason this is happening, you've forgotten that. Better think hard_…he forced his attention away from the voice in his head, then froze as he felt his tail start to slip from the branch. He tried desperately to teleport to safety, but the ground started to swirl beneath him and became a cloud of back…

            Logan and Ororo started to their feet as they heard the crash. "Outside. Let's go see," Logan said briskly. Ororo nodded, and followed him. They both stopped in the doorway, staring at the sight of Kurt in a heap beneath one of the trees.

            "Well, at least now we know where he is," Ororo commented helplessly. Logan growled, and picked Kurt off the ground. "Let's get him back to safety."

            Unnoticed, an empty vial that Kurt had been lying on gleamed in the sunlight. The contents had obviously been used a long time ago, but it was interesting for the fact that someone had scrawled on it in marker pen 'Ich hasse Medizin von ihr nehmen!' [translation: I hate taking medicine from her!]


	6. In the Infirmary

(Yay! So many nice reviews! I love you all! [Gets serious] Okay, I would promise to try and update every day, but I'd break the promise as soon as I made it. I'm not going to make a habit of providing answers to your reviews in these notes – you want that, give me an e-mail address to send the answers to. On with the fic! [tell me if you're bored with that comment yet])

"Ugh – vat happened?" Kurt groaned, trying to sit up. Jean pressed him back into the bed, and sighed. "We were hoping that you could tell us," she said gently. Golden eyes stared at her hazily, before Kurt blinked and shook his head.

"Nein. Ich habe keine Idee. Traurig." When Jean frowned, he realised that he should be speaking in English, and repeated himself quickly. "No, I have no idea. Sorry."

"You don't have to apologise," Jean reassured him. He lay back, then stiffened and tried to get up again.

"Mein Gott!" he yelped. "Ich bin für Schule spät!" [translation: My God! I'm late for school!]

Jean didn't know what he said, but she could tell that he was very worried by something. "It's alright, Kurt," she soothed him. "You don't need to worry." She tried to push him back into the bed, but this time he struggled, his eyes wild.

"Aber – ich muß dort erhalten, oder ich konnte heraus geworfen werden. Ich möchte nicht heraus geworfen erhalten! Professor X würde also enttäuscht in mir sein!" he cried out. [translation: But – I have to get there, or I might be thrown out. I don't want to get thrown out! Professor X would be so disappointed in me!]

Kurt, the professor sent. I have already explained to the school that you will be off sick until further notice. Concentrate on getting better, and don't worry.

Kurt nodded. "O.K." He lay back, and sighed. Then he looked up quickly. "Kann ich etwas haben zu essen?" [translation: Can I have something to eat?]

Of course, and Jean could sense the Professor's relief that Kurt was behaving normally again. She smiled, and went to fetch a plate of burgers.

Kurt stared at them silently. He reached over and picked one up, then sighed. "All off a sudden, I lost my appetite," he muttered to himself. Something in the back of his head scolded him. He frowned, it felt like the pulse that had forced him outside. What was it?

**Eat**, the force in his head ordered. He watched himself reach out for the burger as if it was someone else doing it, then opened his mouth and took a bite. He nearly gagged – he had never felt less like eating in his life. **Chew**. He chewed. **Swallow**. He swallowed. **Eat**, the voice repeated. He frowned, but obeyed. When he had finally choked down the last of it, he relaxed. Surely now, the voice would stop?


	7. In the Infirmary part 2

**Eat**. He froze, then whined. _I've had enough. I'm not hungry. I don't need any more food_…he found himself repeating the words in his head, like a silent mantra. He knew that the voice would have its own way, though – it always did.

**Eat**. He watched again as his hands reached for the next burger. And he choked down the food. And repeated it, long after the point where he thought that he would explode at one more mouthful, until the voice was finally satisfied. _Why do you even bother acting like you care about me_, he thought bitterly. The voice ignored him.

**Sleep**. He yawned, aware that he shouldn't trust the voice. It was dangerous – he remembered that, if not the reason why. But he was so tired, and the voice was stronger then his will to resist it…

Jean smiled when she looked in on Kurt. He had eaten enough that she felt he couldn't be too ill, and had fallen asleep again. 'Maybe he'll get better soon,' she thought hopefully. As if warning her not to be too reassured, Kurt whimpered and began to toss from side to side. She hurried over, to find that he had a fever. Professor! she called. Kurt has a fever. I really need to be allowed to conduct the medical examination.

Very well. The professor sounded very concerned. Let me know as soon as you find out anything which could explain what is going on.

Jean nodded, and returned her attention to Kurt. First, she checked the medical records that they already had, in case Kurt was allergic to any of the medicines that she would use to try and break the fever.

"Hmm, well, it should be alright," she decided. "I'll just check his vital stats, and then begin the treatments."

She walked back to the bed, and hooked Kurt up to the various machines.

"There! Now, then, what do they say?" she asked aloud, looking at the monitors as she prepared the medicines. The tray fell out of the air as she stared at the results in shock.

Professor X! she yelled mentally. I think you need to see this!

(Annoyingly short, I know! But I keep being interrupted, and I just love leaving people with a good reason to read the next chapter!)


	8. Results of the Test

What is it? Professor Xavier asked, frowning.

"The results for Kurt's examination," Jean gasped, not realising that she was speaking aloud as well as mentally. "You know that the tests we had to conduct when he arrived, all showed that his body chemistry was unique. I almost thought that he had been poisoned by something here, but his body had adapted to whatever the toxin was – well, the adaption seems to have worn off!"

So he is being poisoned by his own body? the professor asked blankly. Jean nodded, knowing that he would pick up the affirmation from her mind. But why now? the professor continued. What could have changed since his arrival?

Jean shook her head. And the professor felt her confusion and lack of answers as clearly as if she had shouted it.

Behind the door, Rogue and Evan looked at each other in shock. "Kurt's really ill?" Evan whispered.

"Thaht jest ain't raht," Rogue muttered. "He cain't be too sick to get betta. He jest cain't! Whut's gonna happen t' him?"

"I – I dunno," Evan replied. They looked at each other silently, and both realised the same thing at once – Kurt must have been ill for a lot longer then they had been told, if it was so serious now. "What are we gonna do?"

"Way-ell, et seems ta me as if the fihst thang we're gonna do is try t' fahnd aht abaht whut's bin haypennin' t' Kurt," Rogue suggested cautiously. Evan blinked, then nodded.

"How?"

"Uh – mebbes we could aisk," Rogue suggested sarcastically. Evan flushed, but had to admit that she was right.

Rogue stormed into the room. "Jean, whut's up with Kurt?"

Jean looked up in surprise. "What? Oh, did you hear…" she trailed off.

"Yeah, me an' Evan both heard ya talkin' with the Professor," Rogue affirmed briskly, gesturing through the open door to where Evan was lurking, uncertain of what he should do. Jean sighed, and explained as briefly as she could what the test results had been, and what they meant.

"Ya cain't be tellin' me thaht we're jest gonna geve up on Kurt!" Rogue cried, her voice wobbling slightly. Jean shook her head.

"No, we certainly aren't. But – we may not be able to do very much, and his condition is evidently worsening by the day. As it is, we need to constantly make sure that he isn't – isn't –" she broke off, unable to finish the sentence. Either ending – that they needed to keep him hidden, or that they needed to keep watch in case he died – was not what Rogue and Evan needed to hear right now. It's not what I need to hear, either, she admitted to Charles Xavier silently. He projected reassurance as he replied, None of us do, Jean. None of us.


	9. A Quiet Chat

(Just in case you were wondering in the last chapter, Jean was conducting her tests after school. That's why Rogue and Evan were outside to overhear, instead of being in class. Jean has been excused from school to take care of Kurt – she's got good enough grades, after all!)

Rogue and Evan exchanged glances as they saw each other the next morning. Both of them had found it difficult to get to sleep last night, after what they had found out about Kurt. When Kitty flounced into the kitchen and gasped in fake surprise, "Wow, isn't the furball, like, up _yet_? He must be _totally_ sick if he's missing _breakfast_ again! Should _I_, you know, wake him up?" it took all of Rogue's self-control not to tie her tongue in a knot. Evan would have punched her, but Ororo shot him a warning glare as he bunched up his fist. He reluctantly let go, but managed to tread heavily on her foot instead.

"_OW_! Like, Evan, you should watch where you're going, you know," Kitty griped, missing the victorious look on Rogue's face. Ororo noticed it, but decided not to interfere. After all, this might be enough to satisfy the other two, and keep them from starting a real fight. She sighed as first Evan and then Rogue stalked out of the room without waiting for Kitty. 'If only Kurt were here,' she thought. 'His tricks and jokes may be annoying, but at least he makes sure that we aren't mad at each other – at him, sometimes, but not each other.'

True, the professor agreed. In the three months that he's been here, Kurt has become a very important part of our team. He makes sure that we never take ourselves too seriously – which I sometimes feel is part of Eric's problem.

Ororo smiled slightly. 'Are you suggesting that when he gets better, we should send Kurt to Magneto and wait for him to see the error of his ways?'

The professor chuckled with her. I wish it were that easy, he admitted. Ororo paused, aware that he had just come as close as he ever would to admitting that they would never be able to convince Magneto that humanity had as much right to live as mutants. She carefully ignored the opening he'd just given her, wondering what she could change the subject to.

The professor chuckled again. That's why I told you, he said. Because you are the one person here who respects my privacy enough to ignore the chance I just gave you to throw my trust in Eric in my face. I wish that there were some way of showing Eric that what he does is wrong, he continued with a sigh. But so long as he continues to blame all of humanity for the actions of a few, he will never understand. Still, that has nothing to do with our latest problem. Who is currently watching over Kurt?

'I think that it is Scott's turn,' Ororo thought. The professor frowned. 

Is that a good idea, considering his need to improve his grades?

'He will be studying in the Infirmary,' Ororo explained. The professor's brow cleared.

Well, in that case I can see no objection. Kurt seems to have a quite strong bond with Scott, and – what? Oh, no – 

"What?" Ororo asked aloud. Silence.


	10. He's Delirious

(I'm sorry it's so late! I gave up on trying to recover what I had written of this chapter, and I've rewritten it instead.

I just reread my apology [the old chapter 10]. I am writing far too much Kitty if I put 'you know' into an author note!)

However, if the professor had not spent so much money on soundproofing the infirmary (not because he thought it would be necessary, but hey, why take chances? Especially when you think about the sort of things that would be happening in it…) then Ororo would have known why he sounded so worried.

Kurt had been getting more and more agitated, and Scott found himself spending more time keeping Kurt from hurting himself by thrashing around then he spent studying his notes for classes. It didn't help things when Kurt woke up, as he was delirious and had no idea that he was in the infirmary – or even that he was in America.

"NEIN! Gelassen gehen Sie von mir! Ich muß hinausgehen, ich muß! [translation: NO! Let go of me! I have to get out, I have to!]" Kurt yelled. Then he collapsed on the bed, tears streaming down his face. "Ich hasse es, wenn sie mir die Medizin gibt, und ich weiß, daß ich sie nehmen muß, aber bitte lasse sie nicht innen hier! Ich gehe zu ihr schließlich, ich erhalten zu schwach zu widerstehen, aber bitte lassen Sie sie nicht mich erhalten... [translation: I hate it when she gives me the medicine, and I know that I have to take it, but please don't let her in here! I'll go to her eventually, I get too weak to resist, but please don't let her get me…]" he whimpered, the muttering trailing off. Scott relaxed, sitting down again – and Kurt shot up in bed, trying to climb out of it.

"Kurt! You need to stay in bed!" Scott exclaimed, but Kurt didn't understand. Scott grabbed his shoulders, forcing him onto the bed as he turned his face away in an effort to protect his glasses. But Kurt was flailing about too wildly, and Scott's glasses went flying…

What? Oh, no –, the Professor projected as Scott's power blazed through the floor of the infirmary, tearing a large chunk out of the training room before Scott closed his eyes. Kurt, calm down. It's alright, you're safe now.

Kurt started thrashing about harder, falling to the floor. "VERLASSEN SIE EINEN MEINEN KOPF! [translation: GET OUT OF MY HEAD!]" he screamed, clutching his head in terror.

Jean came running, alerted by the Professor – not that she needed him to tell her. As careful as she was with her shielding, the emotions inside the infirmary were too strong to ignore.

"Professor, I really think we should consider restraining Kurt," she said, trying to keep him from hurting himself. "He's only getting worse, and I don't know how much longer I can hold him…"


	11. Kitty Finds Out

"Hey, guys! Come on, like, wait up!" Kitty yelled at Rogue and Evan.

"Do ya thank she'll get the point?" Rogue muttered. "Ah mean, we've bin ignorin' her fer the whole day, an' she's still trying ta talk ta us!"

Evan shrugged. "Don't ask me," he said. "She's got no idea why we're doing it, you noticed that?"

"Yeah, an' ah doan' thank it's a good thang. How cahn she not know that Kurt – that Kurt –" Rogue stopped, eyes prickling. Evan nodded, his face grim.

"She's an idiot," he muttered. Rogue nodded, and they both walked away from Kitty – again.

"Oooh!" she groaned in frustration. "Why are they, like, ignoring me?"

"Good question," came Lance's voice. "And where's the furball?"

"He's in the mansion," Kitty said, turning to face him. "He's, like, got a fever or something, and he can't come to school."

"Awww. Poor ickle Kurtie," he said mockingly.

"Well, you don't need to, like, rub it in!" she snapped. "That elf has been sick for the past two days, but it's nothing serious…" she trailed off. "It can't be serious. The elf can't be…" she stopped again.

"The elf can't be what?" Lance was not impressed by her newfound habit of breaking off in the middle of a sentence.

"Uh, it's nothing. I'll, like, see you later, 'kay?" Kitty said hurriedly, and ran after Rogue and Evan. 'They've been acting weird about the elf all day,' she thought. 'But that doesn't mean – what I was thinking of,' she reassured herself. Deep in her mind, an almost entirely suppressed thought, 'What if Kurt's dying?' made her even more anxious to catch up with the other teenagers. She checked the hall quickly, then slid through the walls to catch up with them. But they walked into an area with more people in it, and she was left fuming in the hallway.

School ended before she had a chance to talk to them about Kurt, and she was left wandering around the Institute, trying to decide whether she should ask one of the adults how Kurt was. She had almost decided that she was making too much fuss over nothing, when she heard Scott talking to someone.

"You'll have to take my sessions with him! He's getting worse – he doesn't understand when I tell him to stay still, and he's already knocked my glasses off once! If I hadn't been looking down at the time –"

"Alright, Shades, I'll take your watch," came Logan's grumble. "Does anyone know what's up with the elf?"

"Nothing new," Scott said regretfully. "Just that his body is somehow being poisoned by itself."

"How long will he last?"

Scott's voice was bleak. "Maybe another week."


	12. Descision and Discovery

Kitty stared ahead unseeingly, unable to believe what she had just heard. 'Maybe another week. Maybe another week. Maybe another week…' The words were like a chant inside her head. She started walking, trying to get away from them – and almost ran into Kurt!

"Kitty! Können Sie mir helfen? Ich muß hinausgehen, aber die Wände halten zu bewegen und die Türen, Plätze geändert zu haben… [translation: Kitty! Can you help me? I have to get out, but the walls keep moving and the doors have changed places…]" Kurt said, trailing off into muttered phrases. Kitty blinked. Kurt looked as though he couldn't stand up without leaning against the walls, and he seemed to have forgotten that she didn't understand German. But he seemed to be – well, if she didn't know better, she'd have said he was happy!

"Okay, well… Help, he definitely meant that, and there was a bit that sounded like 'I must', and – Wanda? And something about plates and maybe… Oh, this is, like, _impossible_ to understand!" Kitty cried in exasperation, throwing her hands up. Kurt watched her uncertainly.

"Ich. Muß. Gehen Sie. Aus. [translation: I. Must. Go. Out.]" Kurt said slowly, trying to get her to understand.

"I… must… something something? Oh, just _forget_ it! Come on, Kurt, I'll get you back to the, you know, infirmary." Kitty took Kurt's arm, and guided him through the mansion back to the infirmary. He followed her willingly enough, even when she led him back to the bed that he had just left. He yawned, and crawled into it.

"Gute Idee. Ich bin und möglicherweise nach einem Rest müde... [translation: Good idea. I am tired, and maybe after a rest…]" he muttered, already half-asleep. Kitty smiled faintly at him, before turning to leave.

"So, ya learnt whut's up with Kurt," Rogue commented, leaning against the doorframe. Kitty started, then frowned at her.

"Yeah. No thanks to you! You _could_ have, like, _told_ me, you know!"

"We didn't think you'd listen," Evan admitted sheepishly. Kitty was about to retort that of course she would have, when she suddenly remembered the way she'd behaved at breakfast. Her cheeks flushed with shame, and she looked back at Kurt as if he would be able to hear her guilty thoughts. He stirred for a moment, but didn't wake up. She shook her head clear, and then turned back to Rogue and Evan.

"You guys know that he's, like, delirious, right?" she asked softly. They both nodded, watching her curiously. "Because, you know, he was just wandering around the halls when I found him. I think that Scott was meant to be keeping watch, but he got his shades knocked off –"

"How d' ya know that?" interrupted Rogue.

"Because I, like, heard Scott tell Logan to take his watches!" Kitty hissed, "And that's the reason he gave." Rogue didn't look convinced, but nodded anyway. "So if the grown-ups can't, like, keep track of Kurt, maybe we should try to instead!" Kitty finished triumphantly. Rogue and Evan exchanged glances.

"She's got a point," Evan remarked. "Someone should keep an eye out for Kurt, and if the older ones can't…"

"Yeah, you're ra'ht," Rogue agreed. "So, how're we gonna arrange it? Kitty and me for if he goes walk-about, Evan for if he gets too active?"

"Sounds good to me," Evan grinned. Kitty nodded enthusiastically. Rogue shrugged.

"So we got it all planned out."

While they sorted out the fine details, Jean ran through yet another test on Kurt's body chemistry. 'With any luck, this should help us find out what's wrong with Kurt, and how we can cure it," she thought hopefully.

She stared at the results. She reread them. She stared again. Finally, she leaned back in her chair, and thought to the professor, This problem with Kurt might be more serious then we realised. You see, according to these tests, the changes that helped to save his life – weren't natural.

What are you saying, Jean? asked the professor anxiously.

I'm not sure how, but his body chemistry has been altered by someone to help him survive the poison. It seems to have been done several years ago, which is why I originally thought that the changes were natural. His body must have been fighting these changes for years – and now it's succeeding, and killing him. And if we can't find whoever did the original alterations, to tell us how – Then Kurt will die from being poisoned years ago, the professor realised. 


	13. Who's Responsible?

[Yes, I know that the formatting on Jean and the Professor's conversation got screwed. No, I don't know why. Everyone understood it though, right? Please? It just would not load properly. So it looks a little weird. That's all.

[Now that that's out of my system, I would like to thank everyone who reviews my fic. Including and especially Krazy Xanadu and MonkeyAlien. (Yes, it's favouritism, see if I care!) I am really grateful. I am also really grateful to the lovely, lovely people who have put this story on their favourites list, and very sorry that Boom-Boom 101 didn't keep it there.On with the fic!]

Professor Xavier stared at the wall. Is there any way of telling when exactly he was poisoned?

I'm afraid not, Professor. The most I can tell you is that it was more then three years ago. But – there is something strange, Jean continued with a frown, studying the test results more closely. 

What?

Looking at these results, I'd say that Kurt's body chemistry has been altered more then once. He's being poisoned because of his body fighting the changes, but judging by the rate of rejection, I doubt that he could have survived one year, let alone three. So the changes that have saved him must have been made quite recently, which means that –

Which means that whoever did these alterations is coming back and repeating them every time Kurt needs them? Professor X asked, raising his eyebrows. What was going on? Kurt had been poisoned, and saved – not with a cure, but by having highly unusual treatment to change his body chemistry. And whoever did the original change had apparently been repeating the procedure every time his body reverted to normal. Is there a cure for whatever he was poisoned with?

I can't even tell you whether it was a natural poison or a manufactured one, Jean said desperately. I'm sorry, Professor – but we need to find the person who did this. I daren't even try a general anti-toxin, for fear of what it might do to him.

Very well, the Professor answered, trying to reassure her. We should see if his foster parents can provide any clues. Unfortunately, they are obviously unaware of what happened to him, or they would have warned us.

Yes, Professor, sighed Jean. She didn't feel very hopeful that Kurt's foster parents could tell them anything useful; she could tell that Professor Xavier didn't either.

Kitty and Rogue were talking about what was wrong with Kurt in their room. Or rather, Kitty was talking. Rogue was glaring at her from underneath her pillow.

"Do you think that Kurt's gonna, like, get better? I really hope he does. It just wouldn't be the same without him, you know? I mean, sure he can be kind of a jerk at times, but that doesn't mean that he deserves to die, right?"

"Fer the last tahme, would'ja jest SHUT UP!" growled Rogue. 'She's been talkin' about this since la'hts out! Sayin' the same thangs, over an' over. If'n she doan' shut up soon, Ah'm gonna –'

"Well, you don't need to, like, shout at me!" Kitty whinged. Rogue wished for a few moments that she had claws like Logan, so that she could cut out the annoying girl's tongue. She held the pillow tighter over her ears, trying to ignore Kitty and go to sleep. 'Evan doan' know how lucky he is,' was her final thought before she finally fell asleep.

Kurt sighed, and opened his eyes. It was so hot, and he had no idea where he was. There were images of a girl called Kitty, and sometimes they were real and sometimes they weren't. There was a bald man whose name Kurt only remembered occasionally, who could talk without sound. There was a pretty woman with red hair, who looked very worried about something. And then there were the images that made no sense at all. Walls that moved to block his way, and purple chickens that sang like his mother used to when he was sick. Where was she? She never left him alone before when he felt unwell.

**Come.** Kurt's head jerked up. He looked around eagerly, trying to spot where the voice had come from.

**Come.**

"Ja, komme ich [translation: Yes, I'm coming]," he muttered. He crawled out of the bed, and began to pull on clothing.

**Top. Boots. Cloak,** the voice suggested. He struggled into the items, and then made his way out of the infirmary.

"Ich komme. Bitte Monster, Wartezeit! Ich komme [translation: I'm coming. Please, Monster, wait! I'm coming.]"


	14. Out to Play

Kitty had decided to get herself a glass of milk, and was going to the kitchen when she saw Kurt creeping out of the mansion. She promptly turned and ran back to her room, and pulled the covers off Rogue.

"Are you nuts, gal?" shrieked Rogue. "Or doan' ya unnerstand the idea of a good na'hts sleep?"

"Kurt just left the mansion!" Kitty whisper-screamed. Rogue pulled her covers away.

"Great. If Ah fahnd out that ya planned this fer a joke, Ah'm gonna make me a nahce bonfahre o' your Steps CDs," she grumbled as she pulled on some clothes.

The two girls crept out of the Institute, and followed Kurt as he made his way into the town.

Kurt tilted his head and listened to the music coming from the nightclub. A line from the song playing reached his ears – You can¹t control it, it¹s doing your head in – and he smiled grimly. He straightened, pausing as darkness swirled before his eyes, and then slowly made his way to the entrance.

Strangely, giving in to the urge in his mind to come here actually made him feel better. He was able to stand up straight and walk properly for the first time in two days, and even felt for a moment as if teleporting would be possible. But he was still too weak to notice the figures shadowing him…

Once inside the building, he paused to wonder what he should do next. The music was live, not taped – a teenager was stood on the stage, singing to the audience. As Kurt looked at her, she caught his eye, and held it as she sang,

"Well come on over here, 

It¹s about time your ass was mine, 

You can¹t say no, not until you¹ve tried it…"

Kurt began to push towards the singer, no longer thinking of resisting her. She smiled, and the crowd noticed and let him through. He didn't stop until he was stood in front of her, almost close enough to touch. She smirked at him without missing a beat, still singing as clearly as ever,

"And you know you¹re going to, don't be stupid, 

You¹re hanging on but you know it¹s useless 

I can¹t give you what you want 

But I¹ll give you what you need 

What you need, what you need is…"

***

Kitty froze. "Oh, my _Gawd_!" she whisper-shrieked. "_What _is that fuzzy elf _thinking_ of?! If he _touches_ anyone, they'll notice the _fur_, and _then_ he'll get into just _so_ much trouble-"

"Thahn we'd betta go fetch him," suggested Rogue, wondering again why she had agreed to partner Kitty on their shifts watching Kurt. The girl acted like a grade-A moron, and she just never shut up! Without waiting to hear what Kitty thought of her idea – she'd tuned her voice out hours ago – she started after Kurt.

"_Hey_, wait for _me_!" whinged Kitty as she hurried after Rogue. "Remember, _you _can't touch anyone _either_!"


	15. Who's the Singer?

Rogue stopped and glowered at her. Kitty hunched her shoulders defensively.

"_What_? It's true!"

'Whut does Kurt see in this gal?' Rogue wondered, not for the first time. She shook her head and started after Kurt again. Kitty followed her, muttering under her breath.

They saw that Kurt was at the foot of the stage. He stood entranced, his entire attention focussed on the singer. She didn't seem to notice, but Kitty saw that she was glancing at Kurt more frequently then anyone else stood near her.

Rogue was puzzled by Kurt's adoration of the singer. As far as she knew, he didn't even like this kind of music! Why was he stood there looking as if the song was the best thing he'd ever heard? She started listening to the music, trying to understand his fascination.

"You're electric, but she leaves you cold,

You need the shock she gives you, so you can't let go

And she's a habit, you learn to take her lip,

And you can't help yourself you gotta scratch that itch…"

Rogue shook her head. She preferred punk rock to this, and she was sure that Kurt would never normally be so interested in it. What was going on?

"What you need is

What you need is this

If you can handle it

What you need is…"

Kurt's eyes widened as he saw the vial the singer had in her hand. He had seen it before, hadn't he? Or one like it. Old memories stirred, but he was too confused to pay attention to them. The singer winked at him, then hid the vial in her hand again as she built up to the grand finale.

"Oh, I can't give you what you want

But I'll give you what you need,

And I'll take it to ya,

I can't give you what you want

But I'll give you what you need,

And you know you're going to don't be, stupid, 

You're hanging on but you know it's useless

I can't give you what you want

But I'll give you what you need

What you need, what you need is

What you need is

What you need is

What you need is

What you need is this." As she gestured with her hand, she secretly threw the vial to Kurt. He caught it easily, then turned and began to make his way to the toilets. She watched him go from the corner of her eye while her backers retuned their instruments, then began to sing another song to the crowd.

"I know how to hurt,

I know how to heal,

I know what to show

And what to conceal…"

Kurt smiled in relief as he made his way into the open air. He headed back to the institute, clutching the vial tightly. Behind him, Kitty and Rogue were arguing again.

"Well, _that _was just, like, _totally_ useless! He wanted to see a _singer_, who was, like, _bogus_, and then he just heads back home. You know, he could've just _asked_ to be allowed to see her! But _no_, he has to act all _mysterious_ like it's some big deal he's got a crush on her!"

"Fer the last tahme, will ya SHUT UP?!" yelled Rogue, losing what patience she had.

Kurt flinched, hearing her. He sped up, trying to ignore the feeling that he was being followed. 'It's in your head,' he assured himself. 'Just another hallucination…'


	16. Singer and Mother

[It's the return of the author's notes! And to everyone who says that I should go easier on the accents… actually, if I say what I was planning I'll have to raise the rating. Huh. I love everyone who gave me a nice review, and everyone who has me on one of their favourites lists. And XM6, you're disturbing. I like you especially! And my sincerest and deepest apologies to BoomBaby101, for falsely accusing you. If whoever really took my story off their favourites list is reading this, you should be ashamed to let BoomBaby101 take the blame! Not exactly continuing the storyline in this chapter, but – hey, she's his mum! She needed to be reassured!]

Kurt made his way back to the Institute as fast as he could go, worried by the feeling that someone was following him. Kitty and Rogue hurried after him, both puzzling over why he had gone to hear that singer.

None of them noticed that they were being followed by another teenager, a thin boy wearing jeans and a tank top. As they reached the gates, the boy stood and watched them carefully. He stayed back in the shadows as they all went in at the gates, then stepped forwards and rested his hands against them. He stayed that way for several minutes.

"You don't have to worry about him," came a voice. The boy twisted round, his hands changing into vicious claws. The singer watched him patiently. "You really don't have to worry," she repeated. "He'll be fine."

"What makes you think that I care?" asked the boy in a gruff voice.

"Empathic. And besides, it was written all over your face when you were in the crowd."

"Well, if that's the case, then I have no further use for this disguise," the boy said calmly, and rippled into Mystique's usual form. The singer watched with interest.

"Very neat," she said approvingly. "And it certainly explains the maternal aspect of your feelings. Does he know that you're his mother?"

Mystique froze. "No. I don't think so."

"Do you want me to tell him?"

"No! I-I mean, why would he want to know?"

The singer shrugged. "As you will." There was silence for a moment. "You got the claws wrong."

Mystique blinked. "What?"

"They were the wrong shape. If they had been shorter, then the wounds would look like bear-claws, but I don't think that bears are around here at this season."

Mystique studied the girl more carefully. "How would you know what marks claws leave?"

Instead of answering in words, the girl raised one hand. As she flexed it, golden claws shot out two inches, then retracted. Mystique raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said you were empathic?"

"I'm kind of strange that way," the singer answered wryly. She looked away at the mansion, cocking her head to one side. "Is there anything else you need to know?" she asked, adding quickly, "about his condition, I mean."

"No," said Mystique, watching her carefully. "But I think that I'd quite like to have a longer talk with you."

The singer shrugged. "Not right now, I'm afraid. We're beginning to disturb the telepath. My name is Monster," she added as she turned to leave. "And before you act on those plans you were making, let me warn you – I earned the name." She looked over her shoulder at Mystique. "And I cheat in fights."

Mystique smiled at the transparent attempt to scare her off. "Now, it would hardly be friendly of me to kidnap you after what you just told me, would it?"

Monster looked at her searchingly, then smiled. "No." 'And you won't, because it would raise too many awkward questions about how you found me,' she added silently.


	17. Take Your Medicine

Kurt groaned, and tried to ignore the pain in his muscles. 'Ich möchte nicht aufwachen,' he thought [translation: I don't want to wake up]. But something was teasing at him, refusing to let him sleep. **Awake**.

"Gehen Monster weg! Ich hasse Sie!" he growled – or tried to, though it came out as more of a whimper [translation: Go away, Monster! I hate you!].

The voice seemed to be almost amused at his comment. **You remember, then. Well, that means that you should remember why you have to stay awake long enough to take your medicine.**

"Ich erinnere Mich," Kurt hissed [translation: I remember].

The vial is in your hand. You should have enough for a few years. 

"Wundervoll. Ich fühle soviel besser," Kurt muttered [translation: Wonderful. I feel so much better].

He lay still, gathering enough energy to raise his hand. Monster was staying silent, but he could feel her attention. Finally, he gave up. "Warum bin ich so schwach?" he gasped [translation: Why am I so weak?].

****

**Because of how long it's been since you last had your medicine, Monster replied promptly. Your body is in a very bad state.**

****

"Sterbe ich?" he asked [translation: Am I dying?]

**Yes. Take your medicine.**

Kurt groaned.

**I'll help, if you ask me.**

"Fein. Helfen Sie mir," Kurt said, trying not to let her know how scared of her he was [translation: Fine. Help me].

His body sat up easily under her direction, and pulled the lid off the vial to reveal a number of translucent pills. He took out one, and replaced the lid, hiding the vial in his chest of drawers. Then he lay down again, and put the pill he had taken out of the vial into his mouth. "Monster? Schützen Sie mich?" he asked nervously [translation: Monster? Are you protecting me?]

**Always.**

He crushed the pill in his mouth, feeling the bitter taste spread over his tongue. His last thought as he lost consciousness was remembering the first time he tasted it…

Jean! Scott! Logan! Ororo! the professor called sharply. Kurt just fell into a coma!

[Don't kill me, or he'll be comatose forever! I'll explain in the next chapter, honestly!]


	18. Something Strange

[Okay, I lied a little. The answers aren't in this particular chapter. But I'm uploading the chapters which have the answers together with this one, so it's almost right, yeah?…

[And what did I just say in my last author notes, Anonymous? You should be grateful that C-Chan and Krazy Xanadu were polite enough to offset your comment. And the explanations will be in this chapter, as well as the answer to Brawn's question. Don't worry, XM6 – you will understand why as the story continues.

[Yes, I know that the formatting was wrong again in chapter 17. At least it wasn't as severe this time. On with the fic!]

The professor tried to catch onto Kurt's fading conscious, in a desperate attempt to keep him alive until help could reach him. But someone else's mind was already there…

Jean? Do you sense that? asked the Professor, unsure whether he believed his senses.

What is it, Professor? It feels like someone has a mental connection to Kurt, came the reassuring question. The Professor smiled, and allowed himself to relax.

Someone else is helping Kurt. I think that if we could speak to whoever is in his mind, he or she would be able to answer a lot of our questions. 

I'll go find them, Jean said instantly. Professor X smiled.

Logan, Scott, Ororo, he called. Don't disturb Kurt's body for now. Just monitor his vital signs.

Jean hurried downstairs and out of the Institute, following the elusive thread that connected Kurt to – someone else. After a few minute's walking, she found herself in the nearby park, looking around for the person she was trying to find.

After a few minutes, her eye was drawn to a teenage girl sat on one of the benches. There were other people sat down, but unlike them, this girl didn't seem to be resting or admiring the scenery.

Jean went over to her. "Hello," she said in her most friendly voice. The girl looked at her quickly, but then returned her attention to staring straight ahead. Jean turned her head to spot what the girl was looking at – and realised that she was staring in the direction of the Institute.

That assured Jean that she had found the person she was looking for. "Will you come with me?" she asked. "I think that we could use your help." But underneath her relief at finding the person, a kernel of doubt appeared. What help would a teenager be to them?


	19. Come And Help

The girl sighed, and nodded. "All right," she said in a preoccupied voice. She rose from the bench, then stood still.

"What are you waiting for?" asked Jean.

"I don't know which roads to take," the girl answered after a slight pause. Jean frowned, and tried to reach her mind to see if the girl was slow – and retreated in shock at the effort it was taking for her to hold on to Kurt's mind from this distance. She looked at the girl with new respect, and led the way to the Institute.

"By the way, what's your name?" she asked, suddenly realising that she had no idea what to call this girl.

"Monster."

Jean blinked. "Huh?" 

The girl didn't respond. 'What sort of a name is Monster?' Jean wondered to herself.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, Monster's pace quickening as they drew closer to the gates. Jean found herself hurrying to keep up, and called ahead to let the Professor know that they were coming.

When they entered the gates, Professor X could sense for himself the strain on Monster of holding her connection to Kurt open. But as they drew closer, she began to relax, keeping his mind secure with what the Professor was startled to recognise as the ease of long practise.

Studying her mind also gave him the answer to a question that had been worrying him for quite some time. Her connection to Kurt was rather like a one-way mirror – all of his experiences were open to her, but nothing from her reached him unless she wanted it to.

It's a very interesting connection, isn't it, Professor? 'asked Jean.

Indeed it is, he agreed. If I am not mistaken, it is also the reason that Kurt had no idea what he had done with Kitty's CD.

Jean paused, unable at first to remember what he was talking about. Wait – you mean that she's the one who did something to it?

I think it's a distinct possibility, Xavier responded dryly.


	20. Walk This Way

Jean blinked, then hurried after Monster, who was now almost running through the grounds. She caught up with her at the doors to the Institute. "What happened to needing a guide?" Jean asked, panting slightly.

"Kurt knows his way around the Institute a lot better then he does his way to and from the park," Monster answered calmly. Jean blinked again, slightly disturbed by the girl's casual reference to using Kurt's memories. 'Don't be silly, Jean,' she scolded herself. 'It's not much different from what you can do, after all.' But the unsettled feeling refused to go away…

"Hey, wait!" she cried, realising that Monster was heading straight for Kurt's bedroom. "The Professor needs to talk to you!"

Monster didn't stop. Jean grabbed her wrist, and froze. 'Fur?' she wondered, forgetting to block the thought.

Monster looked back at her, and then used her free hand to press one of the fake jewels on the elaborate belt buckle she was wearing. The image of a normal girl faded out, to be replaced by a creature with long, dense green fur and a short muzzle. Dark gold eyes watched Jean's face attentively.

Jean looked at the creature in surprise. Apart from the belt, the only clothing she wore was a pair of boots with platform heels. Jean frowned. Hadn't the image been of trainers? And where was the rest of the girl's clothing?

"Why are you wearing so little?" she asked.

Monster gave her a strange look. "With this fur? I'd melt!"

"Well, then – why are you wearing anything at all?" Jean asked helplessly.

"I need the belt for my holograph projector, and the boots make me look closer to human proportions," explained Monster.

Jean looked at her more carefully, and fought an urge to back away as she realised what Monster meant. "Your arms and legs are the same length!" she gasped in surprise, noticing that Monster's arms were longer then a human's would be, and her legs were shorter.

Monster pulled a face at her. "No, really?"

Jean blushed. "You're right, it was kind of a stupid comment."

Monster blinked. "Look on the bright side. You're the first person who's realised that." She started off towards Kurt's bedroom again, but Jean didn't let go of her wrist. "Fine," she sighed, turning and heading off towards Professor Xavier's study instead. Jean let go of her wrist and followed, unsure of what to make of the strange girl.


	21. Explanations Begin

Professor Xavier looked up and smiled as Monster entered the room. "Hello," he greeted her. "I'm Professor Xavier."

"I'm called Monster," the girl responded, sitting down in a nearby chair. She undid her tail from around her body, and slid it through the slats in the back of the chair.

Professor Charles Xavier looked at her closely. From the front, Monster looked calm and assured, but he could just see underneath the chair that her tail was twisting itself into a set of complicated knots – and then undoing itself and repeating them. "You don't need to be nervous," he reassured her.

Monster smiled faintly – and grimly. "Why do you wish to talk to me?" she asked.

Professor Xavier paused. He could tell that the best way to deal with Monster was to be blunt. "Are you responsible for the changes to Kurt's body chemistry?"

"Yes."

"How did you cause them?"

"Medicine. Pills that he has to take every so often."

"And you make the pills?" Professor X persisted, wishing that she would answer him more fully, instead of making him interrogate her.

"Yes."

"Why does Kurt have to take this medicine?"

"Because…" Monster trailed off. Suddenly, she projected a series of images to the startled Professor.

**Hiding in a tree. Blocked-off telepathy.**

****

**Something touches shoulder. Spinning around. Claws out.**

****

Blue fur, and gold eyes shocked. Young – and a mutant. Claw wounds on his chest.

Professor X stared at her in silence. "You attacked Kurt when he was young?"

Monster nodded, meeting his eyes reluctantly. "Yes."


	22. How To Talk

There was silence for a few moments. Monster stared at the Professor, but didn't say anything further.

"Why?" Professor Xavier finally asked. She blinked, and her ears rose slightly from where they had been covered by her long hair. Charles Xavier blinked. Those ears, combined with her fur and muzzle, gave her the look of a giant cat as she sat on the chair.

"You're actually willing to listen?"

The Professor stared at her. "You thought that I wouldn't be?"

Monster shrugged, and finally looked away. "That's the way it normally goes. If you're one of the goodies, you don't just attack someone, and it doesn't matter why you did. All that matters is that you made a mistake, and that isn't allowed, because we have to prove that we deserve to be allowed to live in peace, and that means proving that we're better then the normals." She paused. "And I'm babbling. Sorry."

"It's alright," said the Professor, storing her remarks for later consideration. "But you haven't answered my question yet."

Monster paused again. "I thought he was the hunters," she said, voice suddenly clipped. He could tell that she was struggling to hold off tears.

"Hunters?"

She paused. He could feel her searching for the right words to explain. "You could just repeat it the way you told me what you did to Kurt," he suggested gently.

"You didn't like it."

"I was surprised by it," he corrected her. "That's not the same as not liking something."

She met his eyes again. "No, it isn't." He raised an eyebrow, then paused as she mimicked the gesture. But she nodded acceptance of his suggestion anyway.

"I would prefer to do it like that. If you're sure you won't mind too much…?"

I'm sure, the Professor told her, projecting reassurance. Her lips twisted in a bitter smile.

**As you will.**


	23. In Her Past

**Forest. Sounds – voices? Fear. Hiding.**

****

**"Hey, who saw the deer? You or me?" Look. Carefully.**

****

**Humans. Three. Men. Large. Guns. Hunters.**

****

**Fear. Hide.**

****

**"Hey, what's that?" Seen!**

****

**"It's a freak!" Fear.**

****

**"It's a monster!" Hatred.**

****

**"It's the best d*mn hunting trophy you'll ever have!" Bloodlust.**

****

**Panic. Run.**

****

**'Stop them, stop them, something to stop them! Make them sleep, not to kill, just to sleep, not to kill, just to sleep –'**

****

**Changes. Fingernails growing, strange underneath them. 'Not to kill, just to sleep, not to kill, just to sleep –'**

****

**"Gotcha, you little –"**

****

**Scratch. Hard. Faints. Run.**

****

Others reach. "We'll get you, you little –" 

"Enough!" the Professor exclaimed, tearing his mind free of the images Monster was showing him. She cut them off immediately, and stared at the floor.

"This goes a long way to explaining why you clawed Kurt," he said slowly, "but why did it affect him so badly? And why couldn't you sense that he was not one of the hunters?"

"I had my telepathy blocked off. I hated their minds – I didn't want to know about them any more," explained Monster slowly. Professor Xavier nodded, remembering the disgust and terror she had reflected at him with the memories.

"But the reason it was so bad for Kurt – well, that's rather more difficult to explain…"


	24. Poison and Pills

[*Cowers inside bomb shelter* Please don't kill me for taking so long to update! I never meant to leave you with that cliffie for so long, I swear!

[I think that you should probably all have me on author alert, instead of your favourites lists. I'm not offended by it, or anything – let's face it, it's much better for everyone.]

Monster shifted in her chair. "My – power – is adaptation, as I just showed you. It's half-conscious – if I'm in physical danger, my body adapts to protect me automatically, but I can also force changes. I wanted to be safe from the hunters, so I thought that poison would be the best way to ensure it." Professor X nodded, remembering the chant of, 'Not to kill, just to sleep'. "But I was focussing on the fact that they were large and strong, and so – when I clawed Kurt, he got too much poison for his body to handle. It was designed to make grown men comatose, and he was only seven, and…" she trailed off, shrugging.

Professor Xavier considered her carefully. "So what did you do? You must have done something for him."

Monster drew in a breath. "I – know quite a bit about – physiology, and biochemistry, and related areas of scientific knowledge. And since my power _is_ half-conscious, I found a way of…" she paused, trying to think of the right way to explain it. "I found a way of giving Kurt something of my own powers of adaptation. The pills are made of my altered venom. They force his body to adapt to the poison, which means that so long as he takes the pills, he doesn't have any problems."

"So what went wrong?"

Monster's lips twisted bitterly. "He's never been happy with the fact that I clawed him, and knowing what I did to keep him from dying –" Professor X realised that she meant the mental link she had somehow forged between them – "just made him more scared of me. So he's been blocking off the memories. But that meant that when he moved here, he didn't remember to let me know about it, so I couldn't get him another supply of the pills when he ran out. I didn't even know that he'd moved to America, at first," she added with a sigh. "It's taken me almost three weeks to find him and get the medicine to him."

"And you're sure it hasn't been too long?" Professor X asked her.

Monster met his eyes. "I'm hoping –" she began, then shot out of her chair and headed to the door.

What? the Professor asked.

**Kurt's body is reacting against the pills,** she answered, already out of the door.


	25. New Arrivals

Logan tried to hold Kurt down on the bed as he convulsed. "What the heck is going on?" he growled.

The door burst open, and a green-furred girl was up on the bed, keeping Kurt from thrashing around. **I was hoping it wouldn't come to this**, she thought grimly, not bothering to shield. **Portal! Healer! Amp!** She sent an image of the room.

"Who are you calling?" asked Jean tensely.

**They'll help.**

Before anyone could ask her what she meant, a shimmering circle opened in the air. A blonde girl stepped through it, closely followed by an Asian woman and a dark-haired boy.

"Woah! What happened to Imp?" asked the boy, eyes wide. Monster ignored him, looking to the other arrivals. The girl came over and took Kurt's hand, and the woman pressed her hands against the girl's shoulders.

Logan shifted his position threateningly.

**Healer is able to help most people, and Amp makes other mutant's powers stronger. Between them, they should be able to heal Kurt**, Monster told everyone quickly. Logan looked suspicious, but held back.

Healer's eyes turned white, and started to glow. Kurt began to calm down, until he was lying peacefully. Finally, Healer dropped his hand. "Sorry," she gasped. "I can't do any more for now."

"You've done plenty," breathed Ororo, studying the readouts of the machines that were still attached to Kurt. "From what I can see, he'll be able to heal the rest of the way for himself."

Monster gave a half-smile. "Healer does a good job," she said simply, watching the blonde closely.

"Thank you, Milady," smiled Healer.

"Milady?" asked Logan, raising an eyebrow.

"Milady Monster. That's her name," the boy told him. Monster rolled her eyes.

**Will he be able to heal the rest of the way on his own?** she asked Healer.

Healer nodded, slightly reluctantly.

**Great. That means that we can leave.** She paused, and looked faintly embarrassed. **After I fetch the annoying valley girl's CD.**

"What annoying valley girl?" asked the boy, looking interested.

**The one who's stood outside the door, watching us. Next to the Goth.**

The boy looked, and grinned at them. "Hi! Why does she have to fetch your CD?"

Healer looked resigned, and the woman shook her head. "Port, will you never learn to guard your tongue?"

"Nope," he grinned cheerfully. Monster ignored them all, climbing out of the window. She made her way to a small alcove, which was invisible unless you were almost on top of it, and pulled a CD case out of it.

"Purely as a matter of interest," she began in a silky voice as she climbed back into the room with it in hand, "What in the Seven Universes possessed you to call a Cher CD cool?"

Port rolled his eyes, and muttered just loud enough for Logan and Scott to hear, "Let me guess. Imp likes this girl."


	26. Idle Conversation

Kitty ignored Port's comment, snatching her CD away from Monster. "How did you know what Kurt did with this?" she asked.

"Because it wasn't Kurt," began Port, until Amp covered his mouth.

"You must excuse Portal," she said. "He has no understanding of manners."

**Or secrets**, Monster agreed, narrowing her eyes at him. Portal wilted slightly, but didn't seem to be too distressed.

'Sorry. But that _is_ the only reason why you'd be so – so irritated about her,' he thought.

Jean looked at them both, surprised. She had thought that the X-men trusted Professor Xavier completely, but none of them would appreciate his listening uninvited to their thoughts. But these people accepted it as usual with Monster…

**Jean's a telepath, too. So is the Professor. Could you please _try_ not to leave them with more questions about us?** Monster sent wearily.

Portal looked slightly embarrassed. "Sure."

Rogue had stepped into the room while everyone was busy paying attention to Portal, and immediately went over to Kurt's side. "Hey, Kurt, you alraht?" she asked softly.

Kurt stirred, and slowly opened his eyes. "Rogue," he whispered. Then his eyes widened as he looked behind her. "Vat are zey doing here?" he yelped.

"Good to see you too, Imp," said Portal dryly. Monster pulled a face.

**Healer, does he need your help any more?**

"No," the blonde shook her head.

**Then we can leave.**

Portal rolled his eyes. "Your wish is my command, Milady," he said theatrically, gesturing at the air – which opened to reveal another shimmering circle.

**My wish is to go home,** came the tart response. Monster shuddered. **After a whole fortnight spent around D'Cornay, I think I've earned it.**

"Duckorny?" tried Jean, looking puzzled.

"D'Cornay," Amp corrected her. "It means mutant-haters."

"And you shouldn't use it," Healer said to Monster. "It's very rude!"

Monster stared at her for a moment. **If you weren't so sweet-and-innocent, I'd have throttled you by now.**

Portal smirked. "You aren't the only one," he muttered. "But ZeeGee would kill you for it."

Monster sighed. **Couldn't anyway. I'm supposed to set a good example for the dear ickle kiddies.**

"Kiddies?" asked Kurt in surprise.

"Yeah, Cat's had twins! And they've already got their powers!" Portal told him.

"VHAT?"

"And Frost's getting on well with Forecast –"

**Can I _please_ be allowed to ignore the fact that my uncle is starting a 'full' relationship for one day?** Monster griped.

"Nope! And Amp here's gotten married, too! And Vines has started dating Shield, and –"

Why are you trying to cram several years worth of gossip into minutes? Monster asked dryly. She looked at Kurt. It's not as if he doesn't know where to meet up with us if he wants to talk. 

Portal looked at her, and sighed. 'Fine, I'll shut up.'

**About time.**

Healer looked over at Kurt. "So will you be coming to the ceremony this year?"


End file.
